Angling consists of Zeena Parkins on accordion and acoustic harp, George Cartwright, ex Curlew, on soprano sax, Chris Cochrane on electric guitar and Fred Chalenor (who has sadly passed and to whom the album is dedicated) on bass. The album title emanates from George Cartwright who unearthed the tapes of their only studio recording (they also only played two gigs) and was unsure exactly which year it was.
The music is an acquired taste that RIO completists may well appreciate; the accordion/ sax/ guitar combination is certainly an unusual one and does create an intriguing melange of sound on instrumental pieces like ‘Off Houston’ with its initial squealing sax and enticing Spanish fringed electric guitar; on ‘Who Wrote What’, what I can only describe as a staccato guitar is predominant; the album ends with a Uruguayan folk tune showcasing Zeena Parkin’s harp. A mordant humour normally associated with the Canterbury movement is evident in titles like ‘It was CCCP then Someone’s Hat all at Once.”
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